The last game of the season and the ultimate prize of Europa League football is at stake. As expected Bosio and Carrasco are straight back into the XI following a two match ban for accumulation while Baio is fit enough only for a spot of the bench. Manolo comes out all guns blazing knowing that a win assures third spor irregardless of the result in the Lincoln St Joseph’s match that kicks off at 18:00

Alas it was not to be. St Joseph’s did what they had to do against a depleted and lethargic Lincoln and made sure that only a win would suffice. United kicked off knowing that and went immediately on the front foot against a full strength Europa. Chances were few in the inital exchanges but that was simpy the calm before the storm; the storm that broke 20 minutes in when Mouelhi came up for a corner from the back. The ball was floated in from the left and there rose Aymen to place the ball beyond the keeper and into the net; United in the promised land and it all looked rosy.

Photo credit to Neil Wilson

The goal woke Europa up and fans were treated to a great game of football for the remaining 25 minutes of the half as both teams ebbed back and forth. Chino made one excellent intervention from Kike as he broke from deep but it was a defensive misjudgement that allowed Europa to equalise 5 minutes before half time as Garro tapped into an empty net. Mr Warwick brought the game to its midway point with everything still in play, but not before denying Elghobashy a clear penalty shout after he was clattered by Muñoz in the box.

The second half turned into a pitched battle during which the referee lost control at times. Tackles were flying in, players were sent off (one apiece), the officials heckled. Tensions were running high. Europa hit the crossbar, Ponce smashed one off the upright. Elghobashy came close; it was heart racing stuff. Chino made an excellent save down low, in summary a belter of a game!

Photo Credit to Neil Wilson

Ayew treads a fine line

The crucial moment of the game was shrouded in controversy, something that seems to pursue this team of officials. With United seeking a goal and holding a high line Kike was put through with a ball launched over the top from deep. He looked offisde as there was clear daylight between the defence and the striker but the linesman’s flag remained down. Kike finished the move off with the class he has accustumed us too but it was the final nail in the coffin of our hopes of finishing third. Supporters in the stands certainly let their feelings know to the officials as they marched off at full time. However, one must remember that European qualification was always in our hands and we came up short at the last time of asking.

What cannot be allowed to happen is for the shine to be removed from a simply fantastic campaign that has seen a team jump from 7th to 4th and more than double its point tally. It has defeated every team in the league at least once and reached a cup semi final. All this while gelling a large number of new players. Though the Europa League would have been the icing on the cake United supporters know that a most solid and most professional and dedicated foundation has been laid. As we drift off for the Summer our minds are all ready on next season and its mid August kick off. Season review and stats will soon follow. Until next time!

With Power still absent United’s list of absentees grows larger as Ponce De Leon is suffering from an injury in training and Baio serves the last game of his suspension. Leo comes back into the starting XI in detriment of Pipo who drops to the bench in anticipation of the physical battle with Europa. Cantelmi and Minni earn a spot on the bench.

What a game of football! Tension, drama, goals the lot. United came into the game following the hard won victory over Phoenix while Europa had beaten Man 62 meaning both teams were in good form. With high stakes at play for both teams Manolo set out a game plan that would hopefully see the first win ever against Europa.

The game started brightly enough with both sides getting into the groove quickly, as opposed to the lethargy last Monday. United had Aguiar, Farinha and Meireles while Europa had the ever sharp Kike as their most effective players in the opening exchanges. The tone of the match was set early. United allowing Europa to have the ball in their half and then pressing as a unit as of the half way line. With Elghobashy ready to spring into the attack the 5 midfield players had an almost flawless game.

The first chances fell to Europa with Kike flashing a shot wide and with Chino safely gathering a Quillo shot minutes later. Though Europa were shading the possession stats at this point they were not really putting the United goal under any real pressure. Indeed Elghobashy was to give Europa their first scare in a usual trademark burst of pace and power he run in behind Belfortti but sent his shot wide. Ayew then cleared another Ayman effort off the line but United where already one up by then courtesy of a piece of sheer brillance by Michael Negrette, surely the leading contender for Young Player of the Season.

He already has a long range stunner to his name and tonight’s effort was its equal. Receiving the ball out on the left wing he had the briefest of glances up to spot Camara slighty off his line. He wrapped his right foot around the ball in that Beckhamesque manner he has and sent in a rocket of a ball that did not stop until it had sailed past the stanchion and hit the net on the inside of the goal. A calcualted and placed shot that one runs out of superlatives to describe. ‘Take a bow son, take a bow’ (again).

Europa looked stunned. Yet they qucikly recovered and tried to break through the Red and White defence. Erin and Aymen were marshalling the back line and Chino was the equal to everything thrown at him. Once particularly tricky shot almost crept in but was kept out by a combination of the keeper’s hand and the post. It was clear that, despite the vociferous Europa appeals, the full circumference of the ball had not crossed the line.

With half time beckoning, United sought the ball and with Leo, Jamie and Carlos in control they saw out the remaining minutes until Mr Warwick called time. United in front and from the measure of play deservedly so. Europa had it all to do in the second half.

They started with a double substitution with the deadly Carrenño coming on to add his firepower to Kike up front. However United had also come out with the bit in their teeth. Meireles was to go and have an excellent 45 minutes and Farinha too would add to his excellent performance in the first half. United were showing a tremendous composure to keep to Manolo’s gameplan that was snuffing out the space for Europa’s stikers. All good attack play is based in a solid defence and tonight, bar one or two moments, United’s was as solid as it can get.

One normally associates Ayman Elghobashy with goal scoring but tonight he also demonstrated sacrifice and vision. He is always up for the fight and despite a very harsh booking for alleged simulation early on and an injury scare he showed the supporters at the stadium what he is capable off. Showing pace and strength he won the sprint with Belfortti and arrowed into the area. Driven slightly wide by the covering defender he skipped past the incoming tackle, lifted his head and delivered a pin point cross to the onrushing Jamie Bosio that had made a lung busting 40 meter run from midfield. He made the sweetest of contacts with the ball to send it into the roof of the net and send United supporters into ecstasy as he doubled our lead with just over 30 minutes to go.

The Europa bench responded immediately with Joselinho being thrown into the fray, the Green and Blacks with three strikers on the pitch now. Yet nothing of real danger was created as frustration began to creep into Europa’s play and more and more wayward long balls were sent forward. United even had the chance to score a third as Marco found Negrette during a counter attack only for Camara to paw the resulting shot away for a corner. United had so effectively snuffed out Europa’s strengths that the game ebbed out without any real scare on the United goal. Tactically astute and spot on and the attitude of the players was a solid 10/10. An immense morale booster ahead of another crucial game against Mons Calpe on Tuesday. St Joseph’s play Lincoln tomorrow as the battle for third place heats up.

Manolo keeps faith with the system that has served as well so far this season. Djoman drops to the bench as Aguiar has now served his one match ban. Elsewhere it is the same team that played against Phoenix last time out. Spots on the bench for De Torres and Dannoun who have impressed in training during the week. With this being the last game before the extended winter break United will surely want to give their supporters something to start the Christmas cheer with.

An intense game that finished with a 4-0 scoreline that was not indicative of the game played between the first and 88th minute. A game, once again, that was conditioned by the referee’s decisions.

It was a brisk December kick off as Europa sought to gain and early lead but United’s defence held firm and Europa’s main outlet was a long ball over the top seeking Kike’s pace, the only early action of note was a Quillo shot that Chino parried to a corner. The former was well shackled until the 18th minute when he scored a spectacular volley that looped over Chino’s head and into the goal. It was rather unfortunate that it took the team going a goal down for United to wake up.

The team in White was in ascendancy until half time with Marco Meireles forcing Javi Muñoz into a decent save after some clever footwork. The midfield had descended into a pitched battle in which Baio for United and Moya for Europa where in their element. The sequences of play did, at times, not last more than three touches of the ball with Mr Canepa’s whistle stopping play for every cry and roll on the floor.

United, however, created very little despite their dominance of the ball and Europa resorted to long balls forward. Roman, very quiet for his standards, seemed out of sorts and Merino and Rodriguez had him well shackled. The game went into a very lengthy stoppage as the latter suffered an injury in a tussle for the ball. The Europa player was immobilised and the ambulance called and he was ultimately stretchered off. We send Rodriguez our best wishes and hope a speedy recovery as no one wants to see any player leaving the field in those conditions.

The second half kicked off in much the same vein but the match had certainly adopted a very physical edge to it and Mr Canepa was dipping into his pocket with increasing regularity. Both teams finished the game with 10 as first Farinha was dismissed for a second booking; he was shortly followed by Kike who saw a straight red for a head butt following a tackle from behind on Aguiar. Tackles kept on flying in and stoppages in play were not allowing the ball to flow freely. Erin Barnett’s half volley that went shy of the post the highlight of the early second half.

As the match progressed United searched in vain for that equaliser. Negrette began to ping crosses in, having moved out wide, and Roman was belatedly trying to use his pace to attack the Europa centre halves. Yet it was a refereeing decision that turned the game. Pipo, once again skilful and full of guile as always, was cynically felled right inside the area, right in front of the referee, as he broke in on goal. To the amazement of everyone in the stadium, including the men and green and black Mr Canepa sought to theatrically wave away the penalty claim when it seemed a clear decision! It could have been a pivotal moment in the match and could have restored parity on the scoreboard.

A bizarre moment several minutes later gave Europa a two goal lead when Brad unwittingly bundled the ball into the net. With the team launched to the attack and suffering the double blow of the non-decision and the goal, Europa scored twice more to give the match a score line that did not reflect the passage of play throughout the 90 minutes.

United finish Round 1 4th but in a downward spiral of form and it can be argued that the extended break comes at a good time for the team as it will give time to regroup and reassess. It will be a long 8 weeks but we will be back stronger and sharper when football resumes on the Rock.

Champions Europa trace their history back to 1925 as one of the Rock’s oldest clubs though they have had several incarnations with their associations with College. Winners of the Rock’s top league 7 times they ended Lincoln’s hegemony last year with a full sweep of Senior titles. Europa FC were also Gibraltar’s first representatives in the UEFA Europa League in 2015.

Europa started the season in uncharacteristic fashion losing the Pepe Reyes Cup game and starting way out of form. They have come back in style though winning their last four games, the most recent on Thursday seeing off Mons in a 3-0 win in a rescheduled Round 2 game. United come into the game rueing 2 dropped points last weekend but also showing flashes of the early season form that took us up to second. A point would take us to third on goal difference while a win to second in this last Premier Division game before the enforced break for Christmas and the development works at the stadium. Match kicks off 16:30 Sunday 3rd December.